Oriental Rug Maintenance

You invested in oriental rugs because of their beauty as well as their durability and they will last a lifetime if cared for properly. Just like your home, automobile and furniture, regular maintenance is a must for rugs to retain their value and longevity.

Spots and Stains – If you have spots or stains on your oriental rug that you want to remove yourself between cleanings please visit our DIY Stain Removal Guide.

Vacuuming or Sweeping – The amount of traffic that an oriental rug receives should determine the frequency of sweeping or vacuuming. As an example of this, if you have a rug in a bedroom or office that gets very little traffic, you may want to sweep or vacuum it one or two times per month. The rug at the front door or in the family room with heavy traffic should be swept or vacuumed at least once per week. We recommend getting a manual sweeper for general maintenance because the new powerful beater bar vacuum cleaners may actually cause more wear by stripping the fibers prematurely. We aren’t saying that you can’t use a vacuum, but it would be better for the rug if you turn off the beater bar or brush and just use the suction setting if you are able to.

Manual Sweeper – Manual sweepers don’t put wear on oriental rugs as do the modern-day vacuum cleaners. They generally run from $20 to $200 or more. When you stand at the end of an oriental rug, one end looks lighter and the opposite end looks darker. All hand knotted oriental rugs have this nap. When using a vacuum, make sure that the nap of the rug is smooth coming towards you. Don’t vacuum against the nap, because it will break the pile and the fibers will start going in all directions and show what appear to be dark and light splotches like a cowlick. You should be facing the darker side of the rug when sweeping or vacuuming.

How Can You Tell If It Is Time To Get Your Rugs Cleaned?

If you rub your hand for several seconds quickly back and forth across the rug and it looks dirty or feels like a film is on your hand then it is time to get it cleaned. If there is a bad odor coming out of the rug when you do a sniff test, it is time to get the rug cleaned. You can lift the rug by the corner then slap the back of the rug firmly a few times and you see dust or grit coming out, it’s definitely time to clean it. You can bend the rug back so that the pile separates and look into the foundation. If you see dirt or grit, this means that the dirt has embedded itself into the foundation of the rug and needs to be heavily dusted and deep cleaned. Cleaning a rug regularly every two or three years is recommended by experts. Also, rotating your rug after each cleaning is recommended because your rug will wear more evenly and will minimize low pile areas making the rug last much longer. Another way to reduce wear on oriental rugs is by taking your shoes off while you are at home. People from many cultures around the world, especially in the Middle East take their shoes off upon entering the home as well as having their guests do the same.

If you have questions about any of the information provided in this article, please call us and we would be happy to discuss them.